as in to withdraw
to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable)
resistance from native forces was greater than expected, and the invading army was forced to fall back
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fall back
On the second interception, Simmons said Delaware bluffed as if an all-out blitz was coming before falling back into coverage and making the pick.
—
Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2025
Without coaching and governance, teams fall back on old habits or work around the system altogether.
—Tyler Christiansen, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Troopers saw open bottles of alcohol in the Equinox and Tipantuna Quinchiguano, who would regain consciousness and quickly fall back to sleep, had bloodshot and glassy eyes and smelled of alcohol.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 16 Sep. 2025
Visiting cargo spacecraft — historically Russia's Progress spacecraft — typically push the ISS higher from the Earth's orbit periodically, when the facility naturally falls back to the planet.
—Ruxandra Iordache, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fall back
Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2025
Without coaching and governance, teams fall back on old habits or work around the system altogether.
—Tyler Christiansen, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Troopers saw open bottles of alcohol in the Equinox and Tipantuna Quinchiguano, who would regain consciousness and quickly fall back to sleep, had bloodshot and glassy eyes and smelled of alcohol.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 16 Sep. 2025
Visiting cargo spacecraft — historically Russia's Progress spacecraft — typically push the ISS higher from the Earth's orbit periodically, when the facility naturally falls back to the planet.
—Ruxandra Iordache, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fall back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fall back
Verb
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Ryan Yates, who had been a destructive figure in midfield, was subsequently withdrawn amid three attacking changes, which saw Callum Hudson-Odoi, Omari Hutchinson and Igor Jesus introduced, giving Forest more threat, but also allowing Newcastle more openings.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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After President Joe Biden withdrew his reelection campaign yesterday, the endorsements have been rolling in for Vice President Kamala Harris to be selected as the Democratic nominee for the upcoming election.—
Anna Tingley,
Variety,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Unwind by one of two pools, retreat to a private cabana, or stroll along the expansive stretch of pristine beachfront.—
Angela Caraway-Carlton,
Miami Herald,
4 Oct. 2025
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Together, these moves position China as a responsible power at the very moment others are retreating.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Flacco will simply drop back to being the primary backup.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Oct. 2025
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Jordan Love dropped back, locked in to his left with two wide receivers running deep.—
Jon Machota,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Leopard Print Fall is a time to pull out rich earth tones like chocolate, mustard, burnt orange, bold red, merlot purples, and maritime navies.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Oct. 2025
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The woman asked via internet forum Mumsnet if her discomfort around caretaking expectations was unreasonable, as well as her decision to pull out of a months-long arrangement.—
Lex Goldstein,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When a horse retires, Dills said it is first offered to its handler and then to officers within the department.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Oct. 2025
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The big move by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway to buy the chemicals business of oil giant Occidental Petroleum for nearly $10 billion is a double win for Berkshire, analysts say, in Buffett’s potential swan song deal before retiring at the end of December.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fall back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20back. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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